The present applications relates to a communication network, and more particularly to management of device-related identifiers in a communication network.
In current cellular systems, individual carriers own the device subscriber identity (e.g., an International Mobile Subscriber Identity, or IMSI). In order to enable widespread, pre-provisioned wireless data connectivity in cellular networks worldwide for a variety of wireless devices, device credentials must be allocated and programmed into the devices and also in the network elements that control access to the cellular networks.
Moreover, newly-developed and large scale mobile data communications service implementations require the pre-provisioning of millions of wireless devices at the factory, where at some point in time, the devices will need to be activated to access wireless networks around the world.
Thus, there remains a need in the art for pre-provisioning new multi-function devices with multiple mobile connectivity alternatives.